It was a breezy, chilly Friday night at the Marshalltown Speedway for their second week of weekly racing in 2019. Then raindrops threatened during each of the feature events, but the track won out, the racing action was hot, and the show was completed. By night's end, Ricky Thornton, Jr. had bested both the IMCA Modified and Stock Car classes, Jake McBirnie matched his SportMod win from last week, and Leah Wroten captured her first Hobby Stock win of the year. Joe Glick led the Mod Lite feature from flag to flag, and Pat Graham took home the prize in the Karl Chevrolet Dirt Truck feature.
Joe Glick led the Mod Lite 15-lap feature from start to finish. Last week's winner Mike Morrill and Joel Huggins had a big duel going on, with Morrill coming out on top for the runner up spot, Huggins going third, fourth was Randy Bryan, and Mike Kennedy came from row five, to finish in fifth.
The 15-lap IMCA Hobby Stock feature did not get off to a good start when several cars piled up in turn one right after taking the green flag. One of those was Shannon Anderson. Anderson had no where to go, resulting in damage to his radiator and taking him out of the game. When the race did get under way, it was pole sitter Leah Wroten jumping to the lead, with Eric Knutson tagging to her bumper. Knutson got the upper hand for laps two and three, but Wroten came storming back, and from there on never gave up that top spot all the way to the checkers. Knutson had to be content with second on this night. Kaden Reynolds, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, came from tenth starting spot to finish third, fourth went to Ottumwa's Brok Hopwood, and another Cedar Rapids racer, Jacob Floyd completed the top five after having to tag the field from an early incident.
Kyle Olson led much of the 18-lap IMCA Northern SportMod feature, but had a lot of company fighting tooth and nail behind him for position. He was holding back, Cory Rose, Jake McBirnie, Austin Schrage and Travis Peterson as the laps wound down. Schrage was flirting with danger running the topside of the track, and with just two laps remaining, rolled his ride off of turn two, bringing out the caution. He was okay, but this set up a two-lap shoot out to the checkers. McBirnie, who had started eleventh, saw his chance and took command with a lap remaining, and captured his second win in as many weeks. Tenth place starter Thomas Egenberger rallied in the closing moments, and swept home with the runner up spot, just beating out third place Cory Rose. Fourth went to Travis Peterson, and Austin Kaplan finished fifth after starting fifteenth, and Olson dropped back to finish sixth.
The IMCA Stock Cars had their usual close racing going on through out the pack in their 18-lap main event. Jarred Daggett led the troops in the opening laps, only to have Jeff Mueller dig his way to the lead on the bottom at lap three. There was a fierce battle going on behind Mueller as tenth place starter Ricky Thronton, Jr., was now fending off Jeff Wollam, Daggett, and Jay Schmidt. Thornton began reeling in Mueller, setting sail on the top of the track, while Mueller held firm to the bottom, and now young Dallon Murty was throwing his hat into the ring as well. Thornton made his top side run work at lap thirteen and took over the top spot, and would then lead it the remaining way to the checkers. Mueller held on to the runner up spot, Jeff Wollam finished in third place, fourth went to "The Game Changer", Dallon Murty, and last week's winner Steve Meyer came from seventeenth starting spot, to round out the top five.
The Karl Chevrolet Dirt Trucks made their first appearance at the track in 2019 and last year's series champion, Pat Graham went home with the win. Myles Michehl led the 12-lap race through lap seven, when Graham took over. From there on, Graham held that top spot all the way to the checkers and the win. Michehl finished in the runner up spot, Bill Davis, Jr. took third place, fourth went to Rick Clark, and Lou Sipolt finished fifth.
The night cap was the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature, and it was a dandy. Tony Hofbauer took the lead and kept hold of it until eighth place starter Joel Rust ran him down, and took command at the half way mark. Rust was looking strong but then had Tim Ward and now Ricky Thornton, Jr. bearing down on him. Thornton slipped into second and set his sights on the leader. He then made a slide job work with four laps left in the contest to nab the lead. Thornton sailed home to the win, Rust took second, and Ward was third. Chris Simpson came from tenth starting position, to get fourth in the closing moments, and early leader Tony Hofbauer finished fifth.
Come on Mother Nature...help us race fans out here! Once again there was a brisk northerly wind coming at the stands, and a fine dusting of the High Banks surface sifted over us...to say nothing of still being darn cold for it being almost May. Then, throw sprinkles into the mix...which weren't to start until midnight.... and my notes now had muddy drops hindering me! The racing action however, was fast and furious all night long. The show, with a car count of 117, moved right along, and with victory lane interviews being nixed because of the conditions, the show was completed a tick before 10 p.m.
Next Friday, May 3, is the scheduled Cliff Chambers Memorial with grandstands opening at 5:30 and racing action beginning at 7:30.
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